It’s been an odd summer in my neck of the woods. The combination of an epic wildfire (which closed many of my favorite hiking spots) and unbearable heat has meant the dogs and I have been a bit lacking in our outdoor adventures.

Not last weekend.

We hit the road and headed for the hills. The destination: somewhere I’ve wanted to hike for years.

Luka eagerly led the way while Sadie waited for me to snap the picture.

The woods eventually opened up.

Luka enjoyed exploring.

He especially liked climbing on the huge rocks.

Sadie was fond of the cool stream water.

As for me….I enjoyed the scenery.

As we neared the summit Luka (finally) started to look tired.

And Sadie appeared to take in the view.

Finally we reached the summit.

The dogs rested

and I took in the view.

When we returned to the car the dogs immediately settled in for the ride home.

After a chilly week the weekend dawned sunny, clear (and most importantly): warm (in the 50’s!). The dogs and I took advantage of the break in the weather to check out some new hiking trails.

There was running.

Snow eating.

More running.

Did I mention all of the running?

From all of the running it would appear that the dogs have spent the last week locked up in cages 24 hours a day. That, however, is not the case. The dogs and I have been walking three miles a day. I’m not sure where all of this energy came from but it was a lot of fun to watch.

The great thing about hiking in the winter is that I don’t have to carry water for the dogs. They just eat snow when they’re thirsty.

The views on our hike were incredible.

Sadie even struck a pose for me.

I did mention all of the running, didn’t I?

At one point Luka took a break from running and flopped down on the trail.

A huge snowstorm hit here on Friday. I came home from work early (and just in time…the highway closed shortly after I arrived home). I was planning on hiding inside all afternoon (a foot of snow and 30mph winds are not my cup of tea). Luka, however, kept giving me expectant looks.

After a couple of hours of these looks I bundled up and we went out in the storm for a walk. The snow was very deep.

I nearly froze to death but I made this guy happy and that makes me happy.

Besides, how can I deny a Malamute the joy of playing in the snow?

If Sadie had her way I suspect she’d skip the frozen walks and stay on the couch.

She is a dog who treats napping as an art form.

Yesterday morning I was sitting on the couch when this happened next to me.

I was sure that once Luka realized Milo was there the moment would end (Luka loves to bug/chase Milo).

I was wrong.

Maybe my boy is finally maturing.

Being trapped in the house this weekend has had its advantages. My Fishermen’s Wool project is taking shape.

I still can’t comment on Blogger blogs that utilize word verification, but I am reading.

And a new….something. :) I broke my yarn diet to buy this yarn. It has a purpose though, and I have started swatching. Pictures will come later when the project has been started.

Finally…the answer to a question I sometimes get: “Why do you have such a huge sectional couch when you live alone?”

ETA: Many of the knitting blogs I read are hosted by Blogger. If you use Blogger please be aware that the word verification aspect of comments is not functioning. Even though I enter the correct phrase, Blogger says it’s wrong and won’t let me comment. I’m sure I’m not alone in this.

When our hiking season came to a screeching halt in September I assumed it would be April or May before we were able to go hiking again. The dogs and I settled into a nice routine of hitting the dog park on the weekend and (for me) staying warm in the winter weather.

Until today.

2012 has been insanely nice around here. After a couple of weeks of warmth and sun I figured our favorite hiking trails would be free of snow and ice. This weekend we returned to our summer stomping grounds.

When I let the dogs loose on the trail Luka acted like he’d been shot out of a cannon.

From the way he was tearing around the forest you would never know that we’ve been walking three miles a day (and more on the weekends). It was like he’d been cooped up in a cage for weeks.

I cannot even begin to describe how wonderful it was to see him running these trails again. The last time we were here was the day before his surgery.

Once Luka calmed down we settled into our usual routine of him leading the way

and then waiting for me to catch up.

Sadie enjoyed exploring.

And also did her share of running.

At one point she took a quick nap along the trail.

While Sadie napped I watched the construction of a McMansion just off the hiking trail.

There was no sign of this house the last time we hiked this trail and I was rather startled to round a curve and see it. This house also proves that some people have more money than sense. The house is in a gorgeous location, but there are trees right up to the house (and hanging over the roof). This area is no stranger to wildfires (there were 3-4 last summer) and these morons really should do more to protect that pricey home. Thankfully our hiking area is a public open space so our access to this trail should not be impacted.

The only downside to our hike (besides that house) was finding the reservoir frozen and locked. Luka was not happy about this. He was so excited as we approached the water. When we reached the locked gate he kept pushing on it and trying to find a way inside.

Finally, I snapped this picture this morning. I absolutely love it.

There’s no denying it…these two are buddies. :)

Note: The lack of Sadie pictures is only indicative of my camera batteries dying, not her lack of adorableness.